Abuja, Oct 13 (AFP) Nigeria's government today said 45Boko Haram members had been sentenced to between three and 31years in jail after being convicted at secret trials.
The media has been banned on security grounds fromattending proceedings at four civilian courts set up at amilitary base in Kainji, in the central state of Niger.
Information Minister Lai Mohammed gave no details aboutthose jailed, such as their names, ages, where and when theywere arrested, what charges they faced and what pleas theyentered.
But he said in a statement only that they were sentenced"following the conclusion of the first phase of the trial (in)which 575 Boko Haram suspects were arraigned".
A total of 468 suspects were discharged as it was foundthey had no case to answer; 28 were remanded for trial inAbuja and in the Niger state capital, Minna.
Mohammed said the court ordered the 468 should undergo"deradicalisation and rehabilitation programmes before theyare handed over to their respective state governments".
A total of 1,669 suspects -- 1,631 men, 11 women, 26 boysand one girl -- were brought to the Kainji facility to facetrial.
The justice ministry plans to try 651 others held at theGiwa barracks in the northeastern city of Maiduguri onceproceedings at Kainji are over.
Nigeria's move to prosecute suspects has been welcomed asa small but positive step, given criticism of the military'sapparently arbitrary arrest of civilians in the conflict.
Many have been held for years in overcrowded andunsanitary facilities, without access to lawyers or everhaving appeared in court.
The Boko Haram conflict has left at least 20,000 dead andforced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes since2009.
The lead judge in Kainji on Monday criticised thegovernment for failing to allow the country's own human rightswatchdog to monitor proceedings.
The UN rights office spokesman Rupert Colville toldreporters in Geneva they had "serious concerns" thatdefendants may not get a fair trial because of the hugenumbers involved.
Under article 14 of the International Covenant on Civiland Political Rights, to which Nigeria is a party, alldefendants are entitled to a fair and public hearing, he said.
"Any restrictions on the public nature of a trial,including for the protection of national security, must beboth necessary and proportionate," he added.
"It is essential that Boko Haram insurgents areprosecuted and, if found guilty, held to account for killingsand abuses they may have perpetrated, and that victims areable to receive justice.
"However, the lack of transparency regarding these trialsis worrying." (AFP)RB.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.